I’m not always nice.

Every twenty years or so you get that one nightmare class.  Ours is in 5th grade.  Once they leave I should be safe until I retire.  I have a countdown of the number of times I will see them for the rest of the year (18).

We had a 2 hr delay this morning which means an altered schedule.  When creating this schedule, custom has dictated that an effort is made to ensure the teacher sees the same classes- just for a shorter period of time.  (Insert toxic statement that’s how I always did it...here.)

The principal, not giving a rat’s ass towards custom (or it would seem consistency) has put together delay schedules in the same way a small child might approach a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle.  One difference being that she’s the boss.  So if she says “that’s what the picture is supposed to look like” then that’s really the end of discussion.

As a result, I find myself teaching an extra class that I wouldn’t normally have on any given delay or early dismissal day.  It has been this 5th grade in the past.  Sometimes it’s kindergarten.  Today I missed seeing my favorite 4th grade class.

Before the day began. The art/library teacher, apparently just now noticing the inequity of it all, came to me and said “I think there’s a mistake in the schedule.  I’m not supposed to have these kids (the horriblest 5th grade class), I think you are. I’ve already had them twice this week and I don’t have any plans for them. I’ll trade two for one.” (No doubt ensuring that she would see a different unplanned for class.)

Keep in mind that she’s seen them twice because she opted to split her job and become art teacher/librarian to avoid traveling to another school.  She’s also been a teacher for 15+ years and should be able to throw together a last minute lesson plan (especially with an extra hour at the start of the day)  She has also been whiny and selfishly petty toward me on more than one occasion.

Also of note- the principal was gone for the day and could not give final judgement.  And my guess is that she wouldn’t have brought it to the ppal’s attention if she had been there.

She essentially forced me to either a) feel crappy all day because I allowed myself to be taken advantage of or b) feel crappy all day because I was an inflexible schedule follower. Given that I was going to feel crappy either way, I went for the option that did not require me to face that class.

I think it was the fact that she tried to coerce me into taking them that pushed my decision.  The excuse of no plans for them was a lame tactic.  I believe I might have been more amenable if she had just honestly asked.  “Hey, I’ve had a rough week, can you help me out?”

Because really I would have done that for any other teacher in the building. It would not have been difficult. And they would have asked in a way to make things o.k. Person to person.  Not- “I’ll get one over on her.”

So I did feel crappy all day for being “that person.”  I had to tell and retell the story to several colleagues to make sure I wasn’t the horriblest person.  And here I am retelling it again. To the blog confessional.  But by telling it here I feel like I’ve made more sense of the situation..  And I feel much better about that.  I continue to be the easy going flexible colleague that won’t get manipulated into being taken advantage of.